Decorative cover for telephone handpieces



vJuly 1949. c. H. ALL'EN M 2,475,303

DECORATiVE COVER FOR TELEPHONE HANDPIECES Filed Aug. 26, 1946 INVENTORS CAL V/N H. AALE/V MAPYE A245 Patented July 5, 1949 DECORATIVE COVER FOR TELEPHONE HANDPIECES Calvin H. Allen and Mary E. Allen, Oakland, Calif., assignors to Colorphone, Inc.

Application August 26, 1946, Serial No. 693,124

2 Claims.

This invention relates to decorative or protective covers for instruments such as telephone transmitter-receiver units.

An object of the invention is to provide a twopiece semi-rigid envelope, for instruments of the character described, which is possessed of minimum bulk so that the overall dimensions of the instrument are not increased to the point where it becomes unwieldy.

Another object of the invention is to provide an envelope of the character described embodying an improved joint for connecting the sections together and including concealed latch elements for preventing accidental separation of the sections.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the class referred to which will not detract from the outward appearance of the instruinent with which it is used.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the cover of my invention showing it applied to a transmitter-receiver unit.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the cover alone.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional View taken in the plane indicated by the line 55 of Figure 4.

The decorative or protective cover of m invention is particularly designed for use with instruments such as, for example, the telephone hand set shown which comprises a microphone transmitter unit 6 and an earphone receiver unit l suitably mounted in and comprising part of a housing which includes an interconnecting comparatively slender handle portion 8. The cover, substantially completely enclosing the instrument except for openings exposing the faces of the transmitter and receiver comprises a twopiece shell, preferably constructed 0f molded plastic, each section of which is a complementarily-shaped substantial duplicate of the other provided with a cavity which includes substantially circularly-shaped depressions 9 and ll, for nesting the transmitter 6 and receiver 1 respectively, and a channel l2 extending between the depressions and suitably shaped to receive and nest the handle 8. To provide clearance for the conductor cord i3, each of the shell sections is provided with a semi-circular notch I4 cooperative with the corresponding notch of the opposed section to form a circular aperture through which the cord 53 extends out of the shell. The shell sections are provided with a wall I6 of the minimum thickness which the particular material employed will permit while afiording suitable resistance to deformation or cracking under normal pressures applied thereto in handling the instrument. For the average plastic materials, a wall thickness of about one-sixteenth of an inch has been found to give satisfactory results.

The means for securing the shell sections together and in intimate engagement with the telephone instrument, comprises a flange l1 formed integrally with and extending from the margin of one of the sections and in planar offset relation to the wall of the section so as to produce a recess l8 completely bordering the depressions 9, ii and it. In the surface of the recess l8, Which is normal to the longitudinal dimension of the shell section, is provided a plurality Of preferably circularly-shaped latch depressions l9 complementary with and adapted to receive similarly shaped protuberances 2| formed on the outer marginal portion of the opposed shell section when the latter is caused to enter the recess is. The axial height and depth of the protuberances and latch recesses respectively which are shown in the drawing are considerably exaggerated so as to clarify the showing. The actual height of each protuberance, to produce a satisfactorily secure latch between the shell sections, need not exceed ten or fifteen thousandths of an inch while the recess is only slightly deeper. In the operation of bringing the shell sections together into interlocked relationship, the U- shaped cross sectional shape of the former will provide a desirable spring action by permitting equivalent spreading and contracting of the outer and inner telescoped rim portions of the sections as they are brought together so as to stress them with the result that when the depressions I9 and protuberances 2| are brought into registry the latter will forcibly snap into the depressions and securely hold the sections together. Although it forms a permanent part of the telephone instrument when once installed thereon, the cover shell may if desired be easily removed by rying apart the overlapped portions with a suitable thinbladed tool so as to effect release of successive of the protuberances from the latch depressions whereupon the shell sections may be separated.

An important feature of the construction is the provision of an inturned rim flange 22 bordering each of the openings in the assembled cover shell throughJwhich the transmitter? and receiver-units'are'exposed. Therim-fiange extends radially inwardly of each opening and 10.

overlies the edge portion of the microphone and receiver caps so that no sharp or' protruding corners are exposed which might scratch: or; bruise the lips, ear or other portions of the face of the user should the instrumentbeaccidently-i brushed against these lbody parts'during use of the telephone.

The cover shell, due to its thin-walled construction does not add materially to the'bulk' of the telephone instrument nor render the latter unwieldy-to handle. I'naddition; the'latching arrangement for securing L the; shell sections together enlarges theshell only byithethickn'ess of the flange ll whichv is about equivalent: to z the thicknessof the shell wallvlfi. Thecover; being handle member; a shell for attachment; on said telephone instrument formedl of relatively de formation-resisting material and comprising a pair of parts completely separable each from the other, the=respective parts of: saidshell having therein recesses cooperative-when'theshell parts 40 are brought together along marginal portions of said recesses: to provide a single cavitycomplemental inshape to and in-which'the instrument may be substantially: completely contained-and in interfitting engagementiwith the shell, said recesses having portionsv thereof cooperative when=the shell parts are brought togetherto form openings'through which portions ofthe transmitter' and receiver: are exposed, and means onsaid shell parts adjacent the margins of" said recesses interengageable for securing said shell parts together and retaining said parts against relative movement with respect to each other and the instrument contained therein.

2. A cover for telephone instruments of the type comprising relatively spaced transmitter and receiver units interconnected by an integral handle-membena two-part thin-walled shell for attachment on said telephone instrument, the respective parts of said shell having therein recesses cooperative when the shell parts are brought together along marginal portions of said recesses to provide a single cavity complemental in shape to and in which the instrument may be substantially completely enclosed, said recesses having portions thereof cooperative when the shell parts are brought together to form circular openings through which the transmitter and'receiver are operatively exposed, a flange carried by one part of said shell bordering said marginal portion of a recess, said flange having therein a plurality of latch depressions, said flange further being offset in planar relation with the shell part to provide a recess bordering said marginal portion of the shell part in which the marginal portion of the other shell part may be received,- and protuberances carriedby the latter shell part engageable in said latch depressions for connecting said shell parts'together.

CALVIN H. ALLEN. MARY E. ALLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 830,583. G-ilchrest Sept. 11, 1906 1,315,794 Richards Sept. 9, 1919 1,340,863. Knight May 18, 1920 1,863,130 Swain June 14, 1932 1,912,231 Wandscheer May 30, 1933 2,428,972 Jackler Oct..14, 1947 2,440,5.69 Baldwin Apr. 27, 1948' FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 333,861 Great Britain Aug. 21, 1930 

